Brooklyn neighborhood frustrated by violence after two shot at outdoor party in Brownsville
NEW YORK -- At least five people are in custody after two people were shot in Brooklyn at what appeared to be a late-night party, police said Sunday.
It happened in a community dealing with an alarming rise in gun violence.
Shooting near Livonia Park
The shooting happened near Livonia Park in Brownsville, near the corner of Livonia Avenue and Junius Street, at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
A 61-year-old man was shot in the leg and a 71-year-old woman was shot in the hip and stomach. They were rushed to the hospital and were reportedly in stable condition.
Detectives were on the scene looking for evidence all night and into Sunday morning.
There was no immediate word on what led up to the shooting or if the victims were targeted.
So far, no charges have been filed against the people taken into custody.
NYPD data shows spike in gun violence in Brownsville
NYPD data shows the number of shooting victims in the 73rd precinct from January to June 2 of this year is up almost 65% compared to the same period last year -- 17 shooting victims last year compared to 28 this year.
Earlier this month, three children were shot over two days in Brownsville.
Residents told CBS New York they're tired of the violence in their neighborhood.
"I worry about my safety, I keep on worrying about their safety, I worry about my family," a woman said. "Y'all need to stop shooting and stop killing people, for what? We're all living in the same neighborhood. We all have to love each other. What is going on guys?"
"I saw the police when I was coming off the train ... It's like you just become jaded to it. It's like, what happened now?" one Brownsville resident said.
Community advocates will come together at the park Monday at 6:30 p.m. to denounce gun violence. They shared photos with CBS New York of Father's Day activities held earlier Saturday to build up the community.
Brownsville native Dushoun "Bigga" Almond, a program manager with Brownsville In Violence Out, has been part of building mentorship and workforce programs to combat gun violence for close to a decade.
"It's outrageous. It's getting worse. The victims are getting younger and the victims are getting older," he said.
He calls it a disease that stems from expanded access to guns and a lack of resources for kids.
"When you give them something in their pockets, they tend to think a little different," Almond said.
He adds Saturday night's shooting is not a deterrent, but a motivator to keep going to root out gun violence.
Minister Michael Rosendary of the GodSquad, says he'll be offering support to the families of the victims in Sunday's shooting.
"We had a roundtable meeting last Thursday regarding young youth and seniors getting shot and how to better responding to these kind of issues in the city," he said.
